Can't help falling
by MoxieChick
Summary: Moxie is forced to tell Swank about her and Benny's past encounter, come what may. Rated M for language and sexual themes. F Courier/Swank


Being a singer at the Tops didn't leave a lot of room in her schedule to run errands across the Mojave like Moxie was used to. The Strip had plenty of entertainment, sure, and spending her evenings exploring Swank's body wasn't anything to complain about (and it certainly never got boring), but wanderlust was beginning to make the courier antsy.

After leaving New Reno, Moxie had never stayed in one place for more than a month, at the most. Staying in New Vegas was comfortable, safe enough, considering she was tempting fate every night by singing in her enemy's casino, and House provided her and her companions with everything they could need or want. Yet after a week of hanging around the strip and singing for the Aces Theater, Moxie was bored. It wasn't as if she went looking for trouble, trouble just seemed to find her, like a moth to a flame.

It all started out simply enough, she had found some time to stop by Camp McCarran to talk to Boyd and came to find that one her soldiers had gone missing and had been spending a lot of time with a girl at Gomorrah. Moxie had found Dazzle and gotten the information she needed, but of course had been stupid enough to intervene (with the help of Arcade) when one of the other girls was showing signs of serious Med-X withdrawal. Joana was a sweet girl, and having just found someone herself Moxie's heart went out to the woman about her missing lover, Carlitos. So over the course of two days she solved a murder and helped reunite two lovers, even managing to talk her way out a fight with Omerta thugs when they cornered the group in Freeside. But then Joana had done it, given Moxie information that the Omertas were planning something against House.

"You sure you can make it back to your place okay?" Cachino handed Arcade a roll of bandages as the follower wrapped Moxie's side to hold the gauze and cloth in place over her wounds.

"Yeah, I can't exactly let the whole strip see Arcade here carrying me to our place, word would get back to the Tops and I'd be in even more trouble." The courier grimaced as she let her shirt drop back down and grabbed her gear. Looking at the two dead men in front of her she shook her head and wondered how she kept managing to find herself in the middle of everyone's little wars.

"Speaking of which, they ain't going to be sore with me for getting their lead act shot up, are they?" The remaining Omerta asked.

"They won't even know if I have anything to say about it." Moxie gave a hard look at Cachino. "You better keep things on the level here from now on, if one word gets back to me about you mistreating the girls, I'll be back for you."

Cachino nodded and made room for the courier and Arcade to leave Nero's office. The going was slow and Moxie knew she was going to have to make an excuse to Swank that night. She wondered how that would go, considering she'd gone to his room for a "private performance" every night since she'd started singing at the Tops.

"You shouldn't perform tonight." Arcade held open the door to the Lucky 38 for the courier, giving the woman a look that reminded her of her father.

"And cause even more attention to be drawn to me? No thanks. You're going with me tonight, if anything happens at least you'll be close by." She nodded at Victor as entered the elevator and rode up to the suite.

"You already have Boone following you there every night as your body guard, how are you going to explain me?"

"You're my doctor, of course." The woman grinned as she stepped out of the elevator and had Veronica help her get ready for that evening's performance. They picked out a looser fitting and more conservative dress that would hide the courier's bandages.

"Guess this will have to do." Moxie made sure to eat and drink something before leaving for the Tops, ignoring the continued protests of Arcade and the disapproving frowns from Boone. They entered the casino through the back (something Swank had shown Moxie so she could avoid the casino patrons making a fuss over her arrival and departure) and were greeted by an anxious looking Tommy.

"Thank God. You're late kiddo." The Rad Pack leader gave a curious glance at Arcade (having become used to Boone's nightly arrival with Moxie) before taking the courier's arm and leading her towards the stage.

She requested a slower paced song that night, one that wouldn't tax her too much, since she wasn't feeling well. Tommy nodded, agreeing that she did look a little pale. Moxie gave an ironic smile but thanked him as he left her to set up the music. Arcade looked her over one last time and with a heavy sigh let Moxie out onto the stage.

It took some maneuvering for Swank to get to his usual table, the theater had been steadily gaining more of a crowd ever since Moxie had brought in the four new acts, but she herself had brought in a completely new crowd that was filling the house. Tommy was already waiting for him, but the Aces manager looked troubled.

"Kiddo isn't looking so good tonight." Tommy said as he handed Swank a drink.

"She say what was wrong?" The Chairman had been about to take a drink but paused, he had been busy at the front desk greeting a few high rollers and hadn't arrived early enough to see Moxie before she went on.

"Just that she wasn't feeling well, she had someone else with her besides that soldier." Tommy shrugged when Swank raised an eyebrow. "A real pretty boy, he looked like one of them Followers." Swank would have asked his friend to elaborate but the lights lowered and when Moxie stepped out onto the stage he could see what Tommy had meant.

Moxie had picked out a slower song for that evening's performance, and while most patrons probably didn't notice much of a difference in Moxie's performance Swank could see that her color wasn't great and that she seemed to struggle slightly when she had to belt out certain notes. However the show went on, and when it ended Swank and Tommy were both making their way through the crowd to try and reach the stage door. Tommy was detained by some regulars but Swank managed to elbow his way through the lingering patrons to reach the stage.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Moxie said as she strolled past Arcade. The courier managed to keep her composure until reaching a nearby table, which she grabbed as her hand went to her side. Pulling her hand away Moxie could see that her fingers were stained with blood. "Shit..."

"Dammit Moxie." Arcade went to her side and propped her up on the table, letting her head rest on his chest for comfort. "Let's get you out of this thing and see what the damage is."

Swank finally reached the back of the stage but skidded to a halt when he saw a very tall blonde man unzipping the back of Moxie's dress as she leaned against him. The singer had her head against the other man's chest, looking perfectly relaxed as her dressed was slowly unzipped. The man himself was a good head taller than Swank, and whose angelic good looks were something even the chairman could have admired if said pretty boy wasn't currently undressing _his_ gal. Swank saw red as he pulled the newcomer away from Moxie and pushed him against the wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The blonde held his hands up in surrender, letting his now askew glasses rest awkwardly on his nose.

"Well, nice to meet you too, however if you don't mind I'm treating my patient who is in bad need of some stitches before she bleeds ou-"

Arcade pushed the chairman off him and barely managed to catch Moxie before she hit the floor. He let the courier rest against him again as she struggled and failed to stand. Swank was about to make another grab at the blonde but stopped when he noticed the side of Moxie's dress stained with blood.

"Dammit Mox, I told you not to perform tonight." Arcade picked the courier up and turned to Swank. "We need to go somewhere more private." He followed the chairmen with Boone following close behind, they were led into a small back room with a table where Arcade laid Moxie out and began removing her dress. Swank felt a tinge of jealousy as he watched the follower unwrap the bandages that adorned Moxie's waist and gently run his fingers along her bare skin.

"Okay, so maybe performing tonight wasn't the best idea." The courier gave a sheepish smile at Arcade who looked at her grimly. "Sorry."

"Mox, what the hell happened?" Swank moved closer and took in the full amount of damage to her person, wondering how she'd been able to stay standing through her performance.

"The Omertas shot her up pretty good." Boone replied. His face was still as stiff and unreadable as stone but his eyes held a glint of worry as he watched Arcade begin to stitch Moxie's wounds.

"Don't worry…" Moxie hissed through the stitches. "I got them worse than they got me."

"Doll any worse and you'd be…"

"Dead?" Arcade had paused from his work and gave a pointed look at Swank.

"You killed the Omertas kid?" The chairman gaped at his wounded lover.

"Nero and Big Sal were in league with the Legion, going to open fire on…the strip...ah!" The courier bit her lip as her companion finished the last of the stitches and used some alcohol to clean the area.

"Shhh, you'll explain later Mox, you need to rest." Arcade turned to Swank as Moxie lost consciousness. "She'll be alright, just needs some time to rest up, if you can let us out the back…"

"No." The chairman brushed past the taller man as he went to the courier's side, he reached out and ran his fingers through Moxie's hair, the other two men glanced at each other, unsure where this was about to go. "You can have a room on the floor below mine, on the house of course. I'll come and get you if anything comes up, but I'm not letting her out of my sight." He wrapped moxie in his suit jacket then took Moxie in his arms, never taking his eyes from her face.

"She needs her rest. Just because you're used to-" Arcade began, he stopped though when Boone nudged him hard in the ribs and Swank gave him a hard look.

"If you hadn't just saved her life I'd clock you for that."

The follower's face was slightly flushed as he followed the chairman and Boone up some back stairs and to Swank's suite. The room was large but plain, nothing of interest hung on the walls a few non descript books littered the shelves, and, most surprising of all, it was spotless. Swank set Moxie down on the bed and let Arcade look her over one last time before leading the two men down to the lobby to get them a room.

"If she shows any signs that she's getting worse you need to come get me." Arcade warned again as he entered the hotel room Swank had led them to and handed the chairmen Moxie's bag.

"If she gets any worse I'll be busting down this door to make sure you help her." The chairman growled back, he slammed the door in the follower's face before quickly making his way back to his room. After assuring himself that the Moxie was still breathing Swank sat down on the bed and rubbed his face with his hands, silently praying that Moxie would be alright.

Lying down next to the courier Swank sighed and turned to watch her chest slowly rise and fall, the chairman let his eyes wander over her body which was, after a week of thorough exploration, as familiar to him as the Tops. She was more athletic than other gals he'd dated, more headstrong, tough, and she knew how to handle a gun, yet she looked so young for all she'd seen and done. Although to be fair, he'd been pretty young when he had left home and joined up with the Boot Riders. Hardly into his twenties when they had moved to the strip and he was put in position as Benny's second in command, but then again most of the Chairmen were barely into their thirties. Swank had finally asked Moxie her age and was surprised that she was already in her mid twenties.

Swank removed his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt as he relaxed into the mattress and smiled at the thought that Moxie would actually be there when he awoke. She always came up to his room after performances, but never stayed the night. He almost laughed as he thought of how she was the only broad he'd been with where he was the one asking to cuddle. The Chairman thought about wrapping an arm around her so she couldn't sneak off on him when she woke up, but didn't want to rub against her bandages. So he contented himself with watching her breathing in and out until he drifted off to sleep.

It took a moment after she awoke for Moxie to recognize that she was in Swank's room. Gingerly rolling onto her side she studied the sleeping chairman and felt a lopsided smile tug at her lips. She reached out and ran her fingers through her lover's dark hair. The courier felt an odd sensation in her chest as the man next to her opened his eyes and smiled sleepily. Swank rolled on top of the courier but kept himself propped up on his elbows so as not to rub her wounds.

"Feeling better Doll?" He bent his head down and kissed Moxie. "You gave me quite a scare."

"Sorry about that." She returned his kiss. "Guessing Arcade patched me up."

"Is that pretty boy's name?" He shrugged at Moxie's warning glare. "He doesn't think too highly of me, didn't want me taking you to my room for some fun."

"He seriously thought you'd try that in my condition?" The woman shook her head. "I'm going to have to talk to that man, if Boone hasn't already." Moxie sighed as she looked over her lover's body and knew what she'd be missing for a while. "I guess there are other things we can do…we'll just have to be, creative." She ran her hand down the chairman's torso, but he stopped her wandering fingers before they found their way into his pants.

"You need your rest tonight Doll." Swank let out a ragged breath before brushing his lips to hers. "But I appreciate your enthusiasm." He let himself continue to enjoy the feeling of Moxie's lips against his own for a few minutes more before pulling away.

"So, some little birdies told me you've been in the Lucky 38." The Chairman raised an eyebrow as Moxie stiffened. "Was that whole Omerta gig a problem you solved for Mr. House?"

"No." The courier rolled out from underneath Swank and sat up, rubbing absently at her scar. "Still working on House's problem."

"Anything to do with the person who gave you this?" Swank pulled Moxie to him and brushed his lips against her marred forehead.

"Yeah, House and I have different but related reasons for going after that son of a bitch." She balled the sheets into her fist and set her jaw.

"Do you know who shot you?" The chairman frowned when she nodded reluctantly. "Anything I can do to help?" He was surprised when Moxie seemed even more reluctant to say she wanted his help. "I swear, Doll, I'll do anything I can to-"

Moxie put her hand over Swank's mouth and let out a bitter laugh. "Don't make promises you can't keep." She couldn't blame Swank for the hurt look her gave her. "You might not feel the same way in a few minutes."

Swank looked her over for a moment, really studying her before he asked the inevitable. "Who shot you?"

The courier stood and walked over to her bag, she took out Benny's lighter, the cigarette butts he'd left by her intended grave, and the note the Khans had left in Novac.

"The man who shot me left one hell of a trail. So, you want to know who shot me?"

She placed the items in front of Swank and sighed.

"You tell me."

Swank looked down in confusion at the lighter and cigarette butts, he picked up the letter and skimmed it, brow furrowing even more. After setting the note down the chairman examined the lighter and the cigarette butts before looking up at Moxie.

"He's been making his own play. I was a courier hired to deliver a platinum chip to Mr. House, Benny and those Khans stole it from me before shooting me in the head and burying me in a shallow grave." She sat back down on the bed and rubbed at her scar.

"Benny did that to you Doll?" Swank moved to her side, reaching out his hand to move her bangs and gaze at the scar, his face clouded. He knew Benny was ruthless, hell he himself had done things he wasn't proud of, but the thought of the pain Moxie had probably gone through to heal from a bullet to the brain made his blood boil.

"So…what do you think?" Moxie took his hand and held it in her lap.

"Jesus, kid, I think we got a real problem on out hands." Swank sighed. "Can't believe Benny's a no good stinking punk, trying to play House like that."

They sat in silence as Moxie watched the man next to her seem to struggle with himself.

"Is that all I was, a way to get to Benny?" Was the unexpected question that was put to the courier.

"House…did say that you'd be the one to talk to if I wanted to get to Benny." Moxie sighed. "But don't you think that if that's all this was I'd have told you from day one?"

"Why didn't you?" Hurt was something Moxie expected to see on her lover's face, but the distrust lingering in his eyes stung.

"Would I have been anything to you if I had?" The courier asked back.

"What? Just because we've been fucking like molerats each night changes this? Makes it mean you're not just using me?" Swank's voice was steadily rising.

"I wasn't using you." She shot at him. "I'm still not. You don't have to be a part of this…I just, thought you should know why I'm going to do what I have to do."

"You don't have to kill him." The chairman said, knowing it was a lie. Moxie knew it too, giving him a pointed look.

"What do you think Benny will do when he sees me again?"

"He'll kill you, Doll." Swank sighed, looking over at Moxie the thought of her dead suddenly made him very lonely. He reached out and took her in his arms. "That or he'll try to get you into bed…and then I'll kill him myself." They both let out small laughs.

"So…what now?"

"Tell you what, I'll call Benny down to the casino floor tomorrow and you search his suite, I've got a key. That way you can see if that chip is there or if Benny keeps it on him." The chairman laid back down on the bed, pulling the courier with him. She smiled as she half sprawled herself on top of him.

"Sounds like a plan." Moxie unbuttoned his shirt a little more and ran her hand over his chest. Swank threw an arm around her, watching her eyes wander over his chest in an almost loving way. Almost, because he wasn't sure how she felt about him, lust was easy, but this was quickly becoming something more…complicated.

He thought for a moment about them not seeing each other every night, him sleeping with other women and her sleeping with other men. And while he had felt somewhat jealous when her companion had touched her bare skin, the image in his head of her and another man entwined made him want to roll the courier over and make her scream his name, repeatedly.

"How many boys you been with Doll?"

"What?" The courier's hand stopped its idle roaming and she twisted her neck to try and look at Swank's face.

"Just curious…"

"Dated or…" Moxie blushed, it seemed silly to be embarrassed to talk to him about sex when they had done nothing but try every position on every last piece of Swank's furniture in the past week.

"Both."

Moxie thought about it for a moment, wondering where the sudden interest in her past affairs had come from. She almost wanted to ask him the same thing, but knew her jealous streak would make her angry for no reason, she just hoped her current lover didn't have the same jealousy issues.

"I've dated a few guys. And I've slept with…a few more than that, but some were just clumsy adolescent exploration." She blushed at Swank's piercing gaze at that moment, like he was looking for some lingering feelings for any of her past lovers.

"Did you ever think about settling down with one of them?" Swank moved his free hand to play with her hair, looking away for a moment when she tried to read his face.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Cause I didn't love them." Was the simple reply, however Swank wasn't satisfied with that.

"You mean you've never been in love? Not even puppy love?"

"No, I've never been in love before."

"Before?" The chairman raised an eyebrow at this distinction. "Before what, Doll?"

"Before you." It came out as barely a whisper, and Moxie turned her gaze back to Swank's chest as her hand returned to its wanderings. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as the seconds ticked by and her lover made no attempt to return her sentiments. The courier was just about to grab her things and go when Swank gently moved her off of him and moved himself over her. He bent his head down and put his forehead to hers.

"I love you too, Moxie." The chairmen smiled when Moxie's face lit up upon hearing his declaration and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers. Swank looked down at his lover and took strength in her shining eyes for the week ahead. If she had to kill Benny then so be it. He knew that these things were never simple, that there'd be lasting repercussions for their actions, but as long as he had her, he didn't care.


End file.
